Wonang Falls

This guide to Wonang Falls on Jeju follows a pool fed by cold spring water off Halla Mountain's slopes, cold enough that most swimmers last only a few minutes underneath it. You'll hear about Baekjung day, when villagers once waded in anyway believing the icy water could ease aching joints, and about the local legends of mandarin ducks and fairies said to explain the pool's oddly electric-blue color. The guide weighs those stories against the falls' modest size and unusual depth. Best visited at the pool's edge, where the color is easiest to judge for yourself.